Stabilizing panel for an appliance



H. J. KALDENBERG 3,529,881

STABILIZING PANEL FOR AN APPLIANCE Sept. 22, 1970 2 Shets-She et 2 VFiled Nov. 4, 1968 INVENTOR.

/7 H5112 J A444 0N5R6 BY 7 4 mi? fleas/r United States Patent 3,529,881STABILIZING PANEL FOR AN APPLIANCE Henry J. Kaldenberg, Des Moines,Iowa, assignor to The Maytag Company, Newton, Iowa, a corporation ofDelaware Filed Nov. 4, 1968, Ser. No. 773,098 Int. Cl. A47b 81/04 U.S.Cl. 312-276 14 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The stabilizing panelof the invention is preferably molded of pliable and bendable plasticmaterial with three grooves formed in the same to provide integralhinges for the sections of the panel. The panel is secured at its topend to the top portion of a front opening door of a portable homeappliance. The bottom of the panel is secured to the front wall of theappliance below the horizontal pivot axis for the front opening door.One groove is formed in the stabilizing panel adjacent the top securingmeans and a second groove is formed in the stabilizing panel adjacentthe bottom securing means. A third V-shaped groove is formed in thepanel intermediate and parallel to the other grooves. When the door isopened, a stabilizing leg is provided since that section of the panelbetween the first groove and the intermediate third groove will dependvertically downward and the same may be reinforced by metal channelmembers secured to the rear surface of the panel.

The invention relates to stabilizing means for home appliances having abottom-hinged door and has reference more particularly to a stabilizingpanel for securement to the front wall of a portable home appliancehaving a bottom-hinged door for pivotal movement about a horizontal axisas found, for example, in portable dishwashers.

An object of the invention is to provide the hinged door of a portablehome appliance with stabilizing means which will prevent the appliancefrom tipping forward When an unbalancing force is applied to the outerend of the open door.

Another object resides in the provision of a molded stabilizing panelfor securement to the front wall of a portable home appliance, whichwill provide a safety leg to prevent tipping of the appliance when thedoor is fully open and which will retain polyurethane or similar sounddeadening insulation for effectively concealing and insulating the openspace between the door and the stabilizing panel.

Another object of the invention is to provide a stabilizing panel of thecharacter and for the purposes described and which in addition may bemolded with special texture or with a special design whereby the panelwill provide novel and unique means for decorating the front of the homeappliance.

Another object is to provide a stabilizing panel for a portabledishwasher wherein one end of the panel is secured to the top portion ofthe front opening door and the other end of the panel secured to thefront wall below the horizontal hinge for the front opening door.

With these and various other objects in view, the invention may consistof certain novel features of construction and operation, as will be morefully described and particularly pointed out in the specification,drawings and claims appended thereto.

In the drawings which illustrate an embodiment of the device and whereinlike reference characters are used to designate like parts:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a portable home Patented Sept. 22,1970 "ice appliance showing the stabilizing panel of the inventionapplied to the front wall of the appliance;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 22 ofFIG. 1 and showing on an enlarged scale the construction of the moldedstabilizing panel and the manner of attaching the same to the front wallof the appliance;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on line 3-3 ofFIG. 1 and showing on an enlarged scale the reinforcing rib and metalchannel construction of the leg portion of the stabilizing panel;

FIG. 4 is a detail sectional view illustrating the securing members forattaching the stabilizing panel to the front wall of the appliance;

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view showing the door of the home applianceof FIG. 1 in open position and illustrating the stabilizing action ofthe panel of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary view showing an alternate construction for thestabilizing panel.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 5 of the drawings, the intion is disclosedas applied to a portable appliance such as a dishwasher 10 having afront opening door 11 which is bottom hinged for pivotal movement on ahorizontal axis to and from open and closed positions as will be fullyunderstood from FIG. 5. The door essentially consists of the front wall12, sidewalls such as 13 and a rear portion 14 which carries a resilientsealing strip 15 for sealing the door with respect to the washingchamber when the door is closed. A combination handle-control panel 16is provided as a unitary part of the door and which is grasped by theoperator for opening and closing the door. The number 17, FIGS. 2 and 5,indicates the lower front wall of the appliance below the bottom hinge18 of the door and which in combination with the door forms the front ofthe appliance. The stabilizing panel generally indicated by the numeral20 is secured at its upper end to the door 11 and at its base end to thesaid part 17 all in a manner as hereinafter described.

In accordance with the invention the stabilizing panel 20 is preferablymolded of any suitable material such as a pliable or bendable plasticand the length and width of the panel is such as to fully cover thefront of the appliance. The front of the panel is flat and uninterruptedexcept for a V-shaped groove 21 in the top portion of the panel and asimilar V-shaped groove 22 in the bottom portion of the panel. Thegrooves provide the necessary hinges for the panel when the door 11 isopened as in FIG. 5. In a preferred embodiment, the stabilizing panel isformed of polypropylene with the material providing long life integralhinges at the grooves 21 and 22. In this specification, grooves 21 and22 will be used interchangeably with hinges 21 and 22 which are in factformed by the grooves.

More particularly, the top groove or hinge 21 is located below the topedge of the panel and immediately below the fastening element 23 bymeans of which the top edge of the panel is secured to the top portionof the front opening door 11. In a similar manner, the bottom hinge 22is located above the bottom edge of the panel 20 and immediately abovethe fastening element 24 which secures the bottom edge of the panel 20to the front wall part 17 of the appliance.

The rear side of the panel 20 is reinforced by means of a plurality ofribs 25 integral with the panel and which extend longitudinally forsubstantially the length of the panel. Several of the reinforcing ribs25 are additional'ly reinforced and strengthened by the metal channels26 which are located within the upper portion of the channel spaces asformed by the ribs 25. The swaged integral rivets 27 or other suitablemeans may be employed to fixedly secure the metal channels 26 in place.

The spaces in the rear of the panel are preferably filled with a plasticfoam 28 such as polyurethane and which may be foamed in place. Othersound deadening and insulating material may of course be used such aswould be effective in concealing and insulating the open space bet-weenthe door 11 and the panel 20.

The rear side of the panel is additionally shaped to provide a rearhinge formed by the V-shaped groove 30. The said groove extendshorizontally across the width of the panel and parallel to the grooves21 and 22 so that all three grooves or hinges of the panel aresubstantially horizontal and parallel. It will also be observed that thegroove or hinge 30 is located immediately below the terminal end of thereinforcing metal channels 26 and that the groove which forms the hinge30 intersects and thus interrupts the ribs 25. Thus, in accordance withthe invention as stabilizing leg 32, as shown in FIG. 5, of the panel 20is formed by that portion of the panel between the hinges 21 and 30 andwhich portion is suitably reinforced by the metal channel sections 26. Aportion 33 extends between hinges 30 and 22.

The fastening members 23 and 24 may consist of extrusions having a shapein cross section simulating a T and which are fixedly secured in placeby screws such as 31. In the formation of the stabilizing panel 20, therear side is provided with open grooves or slots similar in shape to thefastening members 23 and 24. It is, therefore, relatively easy to applythe stabilizing panel 20 to the front of the appliance since the panelcan be positioned with the slots aligned with the fastening elements 23,24 and then by sliding the panel across the front of the appliance thesame will be effectively assembled With the apparatus and securelylocked in place.

The panel thus assembled will be maintained as shown in FIG. 2 withstabilizing panel flush against the front of the door 11 and the lowerpanel 17 when the door is in the fully closed position. When the door 11is opened about its hinge 18, the effective distance between hinge 21and hinge 22 will be reduced and the stabilizing panel 20 will foldabout the hinges 21, 22, and to assume a position as shown in FIG. 5with the upper portion providing a stabilizing leg such as 32 to preventtilting of the appliance when an unbalancing force is applied to theopen door. This stabilizing leg 32 permits the supporting of a fullyloaded rack of dishes on the door as well as supporting other forcesintentionally or accidentally applied to the outer end of the door 11 inthe open position.

The panel 20 may also be used to provide a decorative panel for thefront of the machine. This panel may be molded with special decorativeeffects to enhance the appearance of the appliance. It is clear that thepanel may be easily assembled or removed and thus if the portableappliance is later converted to a built-in appliance the stabilizingpanel 20 may be removed since the stabilizing requirement no longerexists.

Referring to FIG. 6, there is shown a fragmentary view of an alternateembodiment for the hinged construction of the stabilizing panel. In thisview, a stabilizing panel 35 is formed with a notch or groove 36 on itsrear side. As the door is opened, the sides of the groove move apartinstead of closing on each other as with the V-shaped grooves formed onthe front side of the stabilizing panel 20 shown in FIGS. 1 through 5.This alternate construction may be considered if a clean uninterruptedfront for the stabilizing panel is required.

The invention is not to be limited to or by details of construction ofthe particular embodiment thereof illustrated by the drawings, asvarious other forms of the device will, of course, be apparent to thoseskilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention orthe scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A stabilizing panel for a home appliance having a door hinged foroutward and downward pivotal movement about a horizontal axis, thecombination comprising, a first panel means hingedly connected to thedoor above said horizontal axis, a second panel means hingedly connectedto a lower portion of said appliance below said horizontal axis, andhinge means interposed and operatively connecting said first and secondpanel means, said first and second panel means being positionedsubstantially fiush to said door with the door in the closed positionand hingedly movable with respect to each other to a door stabilizingposition below said door upon movement of said door to a substantiallyhorizontally open position.

2. A stabilizing panel for a home appliance as defined in claim 1wherein said first and second panel means form a one-piece unitarymember with said hinge means being formed as an integral hinge betweensaid first and second panel means.

3. A stabilizing panel for a home appliance as defined in claim 2 andfurther including a hinge and panel mounting means at each end of theone-piece unitary member and integral therewith and wherein the entirestabilizing panel is molded of a plastic material.

4. A stabilizing panel for a home appliance having a front opening doorhinged for outward and downward pivotal movement about a horizontalaxis, comprising, an upper portion securable to the hinged door adjacentthe top edge thereof, a lower portion seourable to the appliance belowsaid horizontal axis, first means connected to said upper portion anddefining a first horizontal hinge, second means connected to said lowerportion and defining a second horizontal hinge, first and second panelmeans substantially covering the front of said appliance and connectedto said first and second means respectively for hinged movement from thefront of the appliance upon opening of the door, and third meansinterposed said first and second panel means defining a third horizontalhinge and operatively connecting said first and second panel means.

5. A stabilizing panel as defined in claim 4 wherein said stabilizingpanel is formed as a one-piece polypropylene member with said first,second, and third means being formed as integral hinges.

6. A stabilizing panel as defined in claim 5 wherein said first andsecond hinges are formed as V-shaped grooves in the front of thestabilizing panel and wherein said third hinge is formed as a V-groovein the rear of the stabilizing panel.

7. A stabilizing panel as defined in claim 5 wherein said first panelmeans includes reinforcing, means and is operable as a substantiallyvertically extending stabilizing leg when the door of the appliance isfully opened.

8. In a home appliance having a door hinged for pivotal movement about ahorizontal axis, in combination, a stabilizing panel for the appliance,means securing the top edge of the panel to the top portion of the door,other means securing the bottom edge of the panel to the bottom portionof the appliance below the horizontal axis, said stabilizing panelhaving three horizontal axes for hinging action as regards certainsections of the panel, the first of said horizontal axes being locatedadjacent the top securing mean-s for the panel, the second of saidhorizontal axes being located adjacent the bottom securing means for thepanel, and the third of said horizontal axes being located intermediatethe said first and second, whereby the panel provides a stabilizing legwhen the door is fully opened to prevent tilting of the appliance whenan unbalancing force is applied to the open end of the door.

9. A home appliance as defined by claim 8, wherein the stabilizing panelis formed of pliable material and wherein the first, second, and thirdhorizontal axes for hinging action as regards certain sections of thepanel are formed by integral hinges each comprising a horizontallyextending thin wall at predetermined positions on said stabilizingpanel.

10. A portable home appliance as defined by claim 8, wherein thestabilizing panel is formed of pliable material, wherein the first andsecond horizontal axes for hinging action as regards certain sections ofthe panel are formed by V-shaped grooves in the front surface of thepanel, and wherein the third of said horizontal axes is formed by aV-shaped groove in the rear surface of the panel.

11. A portable home appliance as defined by claim 8, wherein thestabilizing panel is formed of a moldable pliable plastic, wherein thefront surface of the panel is substantially flat, wherein a plurality oflongitudinally extending ribs are formed on the rear surface of thepanel, and wherein metal reinforcing means are fixed in the channelsbetween certain ribs and extend from the first of said horizontal axesto the third of said horizontal axes.

12. A portable home appliance as defined by claim 8, wherein thestabilizing panel is formed of a moldable pliable plastic, wherein thefront surface of the panel is substantially flat, wherein a plurality oflongitudinally extending ribs are formed on the rear surface of thepanel, and wherein sound deadening material is located in the channelsbetween certain ribs.

13'. A portable home appliance as defined by claim 8, wherein thestabilizing panel is formed of a moldable pliable plastic, wherein thefront surface of the panel is flat and uninterrupted except for twoV-shaped grooves which form the said first and second horizontal axes, aplurality of reinforcing ribs formed on the rear surface of the paneland which extend longitudinally, a horizontal V-shaped groove alsoformed on the rear surface of 5 the panel and which intersects the ribs,the said V-shaped groove on the rear surface forming the third of saidhorizontal axes, and metal reinforcing means located in the channelsbetween certain ribs and extending from the first of said horizontalaxes to the third of said horizontal 10 axes.

14. A portable home appliance as defined by claim 13, wherein thechannel spaces on the rear surface of the panel formed by thereinforcing ribs are filled with a sound deadening material.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,886,394 5/1959 Snyder 312-138 X2,953,419 9/1960 Ingolia 312 -276 3,150,904 9/1964 Kendt et a1. 3122763,306,694 2/1967 Hauser 312- -314 X 3,322,480 5/1967 Barnstead et a1.3l2276 3,393,950 7/1968 Dutcher 312276 JAMES T. McCALL, Primary ExaminerUS. Cl. X.R. 126190

